W4Z WELLS FOR ZOE

Wells for Zoë - Water for Life

WELLS FOR ZOE is dedicated to the provision of safe drinking water and water storage for irrigation in four remote rural areas of Malawi.

We don’t believe in handouts, rather a hand up.

WELLS FOR ZOË - founded by John and Mary Coyne in Ireland in 2005 and operating in Malawi in the South of Africa - is a small, sustainable development organisation. WELLS FOR ZOË has gained Irish charitable status (CHY 17275) and is a registered NGO (non-governmental organisation).

In summer 2009 TUNE UP members Gabi and Michael had the chance to hear the fantastic Scottish singer Karine Polwart at the Innerleithen Musicfestival. Karine sang WELL FOR ZOË - a song she had written to support the small private Irish humanitarian organisation WELLS FOR ZOË - WATER FOR LIFE involved in wells and pumps for safe drinking water, rainwater harvesting, and small dams for water storage, in four rural areas of Malawi.

2013 TUNE UPrecorded this song for their 5th CD "FROM THERE TO HERE" . >> click for CD >>click to listen

Years ago Gabi und Michael had travelled through Africa. They had visited Malawi and had seen the situation of the people there.

They contacted the founders of WELLS FOR ZOË John and Mary Coyne and got a very friendly, encouraging and personal answer - including all the information that can be read on this page.

...and who was ZOË? Zoë was the daughter of the inventor of the pump used in the wells of Malawi by WELLS FOR ZOË . She tragically died in a car accident a few years ago. John and Mary Coyne decided to name their charity 'Wells for Zoë' to honour her memory.

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Wells for Zoë - Water for LifeIf we have a philosophy: then it’s made of the following ideas:

We don’t believe in handouts, rather a hand up.

We try to Inspire, Educate and Challenge Malawians to man up (as my daughter says) and help themselves, while being very conscious that aid has and is robbing them of their dignity and has turned them into dependant beggars.

All our plans are made with them and for them.

We are very low on ego and know that we are there to serve.

We are focused on delivery of clean water, seeing it as the first step on the development ladder. Bringing water gives credibility and acceptance and brings a lasting relationship, enabling us to meet other needs, like irrigation, seeds, education, but only helping out when communities have made a start themselves.

We believe that women are the future of Malawi and begin with them and the men follow!

We work with poor people of all religions and none, but respect and value all.

The founders John and Mary Coyne pay all administrative expenses and as full time volunteers themselves, pay all their own travel and accommodation costs: SO all donations get to their intended target without any deduction.

The only people who get paid are our workers in Malawi.

We operate on the notion of the power of one, one person, one pump, one village, one orphan, one woman, and one euro. We are all individually powerful and together we can be a force to be reckoned with

If you have an interest in our work, then there are a number of ways you can support us:

We, at Wells For Zoe, have always felt that water was the first step on the development ladder and here’s why:

The Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs, are a set of 8 goals set by the United Nations in the year 2000 to relieve poverty and the suffering it causes in developing nations by 2015.

The place of water in the MDG’s:

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. How can people grow crops without water?

Achieve universal primary education. How can girls attend school if they must spend their days hauling water?

Promote gender equality and empower women. In Malawi women and girls have responsibility for finding and carrying water. It’s a tough job and men DON’T do it. How can one feel empowered with a 20 liter bucket of water on her head?

Reduce child mortality. More children under 5 years old die from water-borne diseases than any other cause.

Improve maternal health. Bathing in contaminated water after giving birth increases the risks of infection.

Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases. It is much easier to get the virus when your immune system is low, by having malaria or other water borne diseases.